cooper



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

C. S. COOPER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BASS-BAR FOR VIOLINS.

`Specification of Letters Patent No. 10,203, dated November 8, 1853.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CORNELIUS S. COOPER, ofthe city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new andImproved Beam or Bass-Bar for the Violin, Tenor or Viola, Violoncello,Double Bass or Violone; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull and exact description.

The nature of my invention consists, in removing and taking from any ofsaid above mentioned instruments, the original beam or bass bar, whichis irmly glued into the top or sound board the full length of said bassbeam or bar, and putting in another beam or bar on an improvedprinciple, which gives greater power and more brilliancy of to-ne, tothat noble instrument.

The form of my improved plan for the beam or bass bar, is shown in theaccompanying drawings.

Figure l, is the side view of the violin, with the spring bass barattached. A, the spring bar or beam. B and C, denote the two places, ortwo rests for each end of the spring beam, in the end blocks. Fig. 2,

shows the side view of the spring beam or bass bar, detached from theviolin. Fig. 3, shows the front view of said spring beam or bass bardetached from said instrument. Fig. 4, shows the front view of the saidspring beam or bass bar, which I claim as my improvement, showing theposition where the ends of said spring rests upon or in the end blocks.

A, the spring beam, B and C, shows where the'notches or mortises are cutinto the end blocks for each end of the spring to rest upon. D and E,shows the line of said spring beam, or bass bar, which is shown in thedrawings. It is intended to answer the purpose of a half spring made ofwood to take place of the solid bass beam or bar, giving it by far,greater powers than the old principle.- This half spring or spring beamis glued to the top, for the space of about three inches, as shown inthe drawings between the holes lengthwise of the violin and running inthe same direction as the old principle. The ends 'from said threeinches which is glued to the top or soundboard, curves downward and issupported by the two end blocks into which said blocks notches ormortises are out expressly to receive them, separating the spring fromthe top except said three inches, as above mentioned. The top when gluedto the rim brings said ends of springfirmly into said notches ormortises in said end blocks, made expressly to receive them. The objectis, to make the vibration of the top or sounding board greater, givingit greater power and more lirmness and evenness of tone, and making thetone far more sweet and pleasing to the ear.

IVhatI claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The application of the spring bass beam or bar, in place of the solidbeam which is taken from the violin for the violin, tenor or viola,violoncello double'bass or violone, or any other instrument requiring abass beam or bar for the production of tone, then the supports of theends of said spring or im proved bass bar by cutting of notches ormortises in said end blocks, as shown in the accompanying drawings andsupporting said ends ot' spring in any manner by connecting them or thebearings of said spring to said end blocks to produce the desired effectalso the separation of the bass bar or beam from the top or sound boardexcept the three inches as before mentioned and shown in the drawingsusing any wood which will produce the desired eect;

CORNELIUS S. COOPER.

lfVitnesses JOSEPH BRmGi-IAM, ED. K. MORTON.

